Hi all,
Does anyone know why my transmission doesnt select 1st gear manually(with the stick in 2) but does when kickdown button is pressed?(peddle mashed to the floor on takeoff)

91 300E24V
2nd gear start
722.3 transmission.
116000 miles.

Thanx Chris.

I think if you want a 1st gear start without having to kickdown you have to manually select '2' and then slide it over to the right (labeled 'B'). With the car at a stop, once you've selected 'B' you can move the shifter back to 'D' and it will jump off the line in first gear and upshift normally. After this drag race, though, you will need to repeat the procedure if you want another 1st gear start. Hope this helps.